Football club
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| Full name | Football Club Kerala | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Red Warriors | ||
| Founded | June 6, 2014; 10 years ago (2014-06-06) | ||
| Ground | Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 15,000 | ||
| Owner | FC Kerala Sports Ltd. | ||
| League | Kerala Premier League | ||
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Football Club Kerala is an Indian professional football club based in Thrissur, Kerala. The club made its debut in national level football through the I-League 2nd Division in 2017–18. They also compete in the Kerala Premier League.
Name
FC Kerala is a crowd-funded venture that started in 2014 with aim of reaching out to football fans in the state better than predecessors who hit financial crisis. The name FC Kerala was set up to make it Kerala's own club. Narayana Menon, CEO of the club said that its main aim is to become Football team of the people.
History
FC Kerala, formed in 2014, began its journey by playing in Kerala Premier League, a professional league organised by Kerala Football Association. After three years, the club made its debut in I-League 2nd Division. FC Kerala claimed victory in the first match after overcoming Fateh Hyderabad 2–1.
In the 2019–20 2nd Division League, FC Kerala played 7 matches in group C and earned 9 points, but later pulled out to financial crisis. In December 2022, the club participated in Dausa Gold Cup in Rajasthan, in which they won title with 1–0 win over I-League side Rajasthan United in final.
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2017—2019 | Yogakshemam Loans | |
| 2020—present | Yoga Loans |
Stadium
FC Kerala uses the Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium as their home ground. It has artificial turf and seating capacity of 15,000 spectators. Opened in 1978, it is commonly known as Palace Stadium or TMC Stadium.
Supporters
A recognised Thrissur-based fan club by the name Red Warriors has been in support since 2017. The Municipal Corporation Stadium has seen an average attendance close to 15,000.
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Current technical staff
- As of 20 August 2020
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Vacant |
| Assistant coach |  K. A. Navas
|
| Physio | Haider Ali
|
| Technical director | V. A. Narayana Menon
|
Youth programmes
In 2020, FC Kerala announced that they are opening a residential Football Academy in Thrissur. Currently, the club runs a Soccer School in Thrissur, where close to 800 children, aged between 5 and 20, train under the guidance of India's finest football coaches.
With the launch of Residential Academy, FC Kerala gives the chances to youth players to be associated with the professional way of the FC Kerala family. FC Kerala also aims at personality development of the players thus moulding them as future citizens.
The club's U-13, U-15 and U-18 teams have participated in the respective AIFF Youth I-League tournaments, while the U-9, U-10, & U-11 play in the regional AIFF Baby League tournaments.
The youth teams (various age divisions) of FC Kerala play at the Thrissur Corporation Stadium, St. Alosius School Ground and Sri Kerala Varma College Ground.
See also
Honours
League
- Semi-final (1): 2018–19
Cup
- Dausa Gold Cup
- Winners (1): 2022
References
- ^ "Eighteen teams, including 7 reserve sides of ISL clubs to contest in revamped 2017-18 Second Division league". firstpost.com. First Post. 20 February 2018. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- Rayan, Stan (19 November 2022). "Kerala Premier League to begin on November 24". thehindu.com. Kochi: The Hindu. Archived from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- "Kerala Premier League to begin on 6th March, read the full fixtures". thefangarage.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- "People's FC Kerala have I-League and Indian Super League in their sights". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- "EIGHTEEN TEAMS WILL CONTEST IN SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE 2017-18". aiff.com. All India Football Federation. 21 February 2018. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- "I-League 2nd division round-up: Mohammedan Sporting Club maintain their winning streak". sportskeeda.com. 17 March 2018. Archived from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- "FC Kerala pull out of I-league second division". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- Jain, Mahesh (28 December 2022). "गोल्ड कप ऑल इंडिया फुटबॉल टूर्नामेंट: सेमीफाइनल में पहुंची राजस्थान यूनाइटेड व केरल एफसी" [Gold Cup All India Football Tournament: Rajasthan United and Kerala FC reached the semi-finals]. patrika.com (in Hindi). Dausa. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- "Municipal Stadium". espncricinfo.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- "Synthetic turf for stadium". The Hindu. 24 November 2012. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
- "FC Kerala announce opening of Residential Football Academy!". Arunava about football. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- "FC Kerala to start residential football academy". Sportstar The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- "KPL 2018-19 Matches". KFA. Archived from the original on 16 December 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
- "Dausa Gold Cup: FC Kerala Champions". Time.news. 1 January 2023. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
Further reading
- "2nd Division I-League: FC Kerala and Ozone FC register huge wins in Group B". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
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